A single drunk will take up the time of 17 officers and staff, police have
revealed in a warning over the drain Britain’s binge-drinking culture has on
communities.

A typical case of a weekend reveller who drinks too much and becomes violent can occupy a whole team of officers and civilian staff over a 12 hour period, according to one senior officer.

Earlier this week police chiefs said Labour’s 24-hour opening regime had failed and called for radical measures such as “drunk tanks” to tackle the effects of excessive drinking in towns and cities.

Superintendent Jon Dodman, of Suffolk Police, said: “Something as preventable as having too much to drink can become a serious drain on police resources.

"And those resources would be put to much better use in local communities rather than being called into town centres every weekend to deal with people who wouldn't cause problems if they hadn't consumed so much alcohol."

In a detailed breakdown of how police deal with just one troublemaking drunk, the force listed the huge input of staff required.

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A drunk is accused of an assault so a police call handler receives a report, logs the details and then a dispatcher sends four officers, two on foot and two in a patrol car, to the scene.

The offender then starts struggling with the officers and tries to resist arrest so, as a crowd gathers, additional officers are required and a further eight are sent.

A police van driver and two colleagues are then called to transfer the detained suspect to a police station.

A custody sergeant and the original arresting officer log the individual in but he then has to be checked on an hourly basis to ensure his health has not deteriorated given his excessive drinking.

In the morning, the suspect, now sober, is taken out of the cells and dealt with for the offences.

Supt Dodman estimated that over a 12 hour period some 17 officers and staff will have been required.

He added: “Situations like this are repeated throughout the country time and time again every weekend. People should know their drinking limits."

On Wednesday, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) called for privately-run “drunk tanks” to be established to deal with drunken revellers who cause a nuisance.

Adrian Lee, chief constable of Northamptonshire Police and Acpo spokesman on alcohol issues, said the proposal could then see private firms charge offenders for their night’s stay as an added deterrent.

With an on-the-spot fine for being drunk and disorderly on top, the move could see drunks paying up to £400 for a night in the “tank”.

Mr Lee also attacked the previous Labour government's 24 – hour licensing regime, which has since been rowed back. He said the attempt to introduce a "café culture" had failed.

He said: "I think the café culture was an entirely legitimate experiment but I don't think it has worked."

Between 30,000 and 40,000 people are fined for being drunk and disorderly each year, meaning more than a third of million since 24 – hour drinking was introduced in 2005.